


The Beginning of Something

by YourAnonymousGod



Series: Did he fix you? Yeah, he did [5]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Aliens, Bars and Pubs, F/M, Pining, Pool & Billiards, Post-Episode: s02e02 Sleeper, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25228363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourAnonymousGod/pseuds/YourAnonymousGod
Summary: What the two single members of Torchwood got up to while Jack and Ianto were at Serenity Plaza
Relationships: Owen Harper & Toshiko Sato
Series: Did he fix you? Yeah, he did [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767754
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	The Beginning of Something

**Author's Note:**

> Shorter one for ya'll

“Tosh?”

Toshiko looked away from her monitor at Owen’s voice, turning to her left to see him standing there with his coat in his hand and a gentle look on his face she hadn’t seen often. It took her by surprise, but she managed to hold back any sort of indication, and she smiled at him.

“Owen, hey.”

“I was wondering. Gwen’s buggered off to be with her fiancé, the love birds are off in their sweet little serenity house, so it’s just us and the Rift is quiet-” Tosh blinked, waiting patiently for Owen to get through his rambling. She assumed by the appearance of his coat that he was going to head home, maybe as her to hold down the fort for the rest of the day. Tosh held in a sigh, not looking forward to being unable to say no to him.

“You want to go grab some drinks? Maybe some pool?” This time Tosh couldn’t disguise her shock, eyes widening just a little and a small “Oh“ falling from her lips.

“N-now?” She asked nervously, not at all ready for Owen to preposition that even though Tosh told herself this couldn’t possibly be a date, it was just two friends hanging out.

“Yeah.”

“Sure! Yeah, why not.” Owen smiled and so did Tosh, quickly setting her computer on autopilot so it would monitor the Rift readings and tell her anything she needed through her phone. Tosh led the both out of the Hub after taking her coat from Owen who had offered it to her politely, climbing in Owen’s car. The drive to the pub was quiet but a comfortable atmosphere while Tosh felt like she was buzzing. Not only was this a change in her nightly routine it was also just the two of them, and she hoped deep down that this meant they were getting somewhere past friends. 

_ “I need a proper woman, you know? Someone I've got something in common with, you know?” _

Owen’s words flashed in her mind like they had been doing for the past month or so. Just those two sentences had given Tosh the optimism that maybe she still had a chance with him now his pulling days were over. Tosh did know he often still thought about Diane, that woman had actually made Owen happy and some part of Tosh wanted to be able to make the doctor smile like that too. At least she wouldn’t leave him by flying back into the Rift.

They pulled up outside the pub,  _ Miller's Tavern,  _ one of the Team’s typical haunt on slow, uneventful days. Tosh was currently reigning queen at pool here and nobody had beaten her yet, she wasn’t about to let that ever happen either. She walked inside with Owen, shrugging her long coat off and looking for a free pool table while Owen headed to the bar, he knew her drink order by now, they all knew each other's preferences. Picking up a pool cue, Tosh waiting for Owen, just leaning against the table and rubbing the chalk on the end of the cue. The balls were already set up perfectly in the triangle rack. As the thought entered her mind, Tosh turned to the blackboard hanging on the way, grabbing the small white stick of chalk and jotting down their names.

“Here you go, Tosh.” Owen said as he approached the table, a vodka and diet tonic drink with a slice of lemon floating in it. Tosh smiled graciously at the doctor, taking a sip before placing the thin glass on one of the nearby tables. It tasted perfectly and Tosh already felt like she was enjoying the evening, no team - not that she didn’t love them all - just the two of them.

“Who wants to break?” Tosh asked, picking up her cue again as Owen rounded the pool table and took his stance, eyeing up the table.

“You go ahead, ladies first and all that.” Owen winked with a smile and Tosh smiled, hoping she didn’t blush. With that, Tosh removed the triangle rack, discarding it on the same table as their drinks and eyed the fifteen striped and solid balls grouped together. Satisfied with the angle she was at, Tosh leant down, feet sitting wider than her shoulders and hand resting on the soft lime surface of the table. She rested the wood of the cue on the webspace between her thumb and index finger, her left hand curled around the further end of the stick securely. Breathing out and focusing on the cue ball, Tosh moved the stick forward, the end colliding with the off-white ball which shot forward, hitting the rest of the spheres and sending them scattering. Tosh took a step back as they all began to settle, losing their motion.

She moved out of the way for Owen to take his first shot, watching him and shamefully glancing at his jean clad behind when he bent over. To distract herself, Tosh took another sip of her drink, waiting for Owen to play. Looking, she watched as the striped ten rolled towards the corner hole, dwindling before dropping in. Owen straightened back up with a grin.

“Rock and roll, baby!” Tosh rolled her eyes with amusement, watching him pick up his beer, drinking some before looking at her with a smug expression. “Maybe you’ll lose your crown tonight, Tosh.”

“Keep dreaming, Owen.”

~~~

“Just us again, then.” Owen started and Tosh turned, it was a week after their first night out together.

“Pool?”

“How did you know.” He smiled and Tosh switched her systems to autopilot.

~~~

“Gwen’s just left.” Tosh announced as Owen emerged from the Vaults, bucket in hand from feeding Janet.

“I’ll take your crown, tonight, I swear.” Tosh laughed, he’s been saying that every time now.

~~~

“You ready to lose again, Owen,” Tosh jabbed as she recalled the many times he’d lost.

“Hush hush, I’m just letting you win, obviously.” She rolled her eyes, slipping on her coat and making sure she had her house keys.

“Yeah, and Myfanwy isn’t a Pteranodon.”

~~~

“You know what, Tosh?” Owen said as they left the pub, it was dark outside and a small gust of wind disrupted her hair. The cold didn’t bother her, warm from the alcohol she had just drunk and the chips she had eaten. She looked at Owen who was smiling. “I’ve enjoyed these quiet evenings just playing pool and drinking.”

“Me too Owen.” Tosh confessed, feeling butterflies spring in her stomach. She was glad he was liking it just as much as she was.

“Especially just the two of us. It’s calm, no drama, just relaxing, ya’know?” His brow furrowed at the end of his sentence but the smile never faltered. Tosh nodded, completely understanding where he was coming from, Jack and Gwen were loud while Ianto wasn’t but when he was with the Captain there was no stopping those two from feeling one another up, not that Tosh minded, they were happy together but it made he realised just how lonely she could be. With Owen, Tosh knew they were in similar boats, without a partner to share their nights with despite looking, and just wanting someone to hang about with. Gwen had Rhys who unfortunately knew about everything after a slip up while Jack was away and Gwen had refused, even under Owen’s orders, to retcon him. Tosh knew Gwen hadn’t found a way to tell Jack yet, although it all seemed unfair that she could tell someone while the rest of them couldn’t. 

Still, Tosh was content to keep it her secret feelings hidden if it meant keeping Owen as a friend.

~~~

Tosh had just potted her third ball when her PDA which sat in her handbag started beeping. Owen gave her an exasperated look and Tosh put her pool cue down to check it out while Owen drank the rest of his beer in one go.

“Rift Alert, just down the road, doesn’t look big though.”

“The one time I’m beating you and the Rift comes alive. Are you sure you haven’t rigged it?” Owen joked as they collected their things and left, it made Tosh laugh soft, and she shook her head.

“Yes because the Rift is under my command.”

“Knew it.” He said as they climbed into his car, driving the short distance. Owen rooted through the boot while Tosh gazed at her PDA, loading up the map to see exactly where it was. She pointed ahead of her where there was an alleyway.

“Just down there, hopefully it won't be too much hassle.”

“If it is, we’ll just call Gwen.” Owen slid his gun into the back of his jeans while slinging his backpack on, the two of them walking towards the alleyway which was suspiciously quiet.. Tosh half wished her programming was able to tell them exactly what fell through but there was no way she should get that, they would just have to deal with walking into things almost completely blind every time. Owen flicked on his torch as they stood at the mouth of the alleyway, swinging the beam around to look for their newest gift, whether a sentient being, an artefact, or something entirely new.

Walking alongside Owen, Tosh gazed around after each step, listening for any sort of indication but the roll of cars or the hum of nearby nightclubs got in the way. Owen tutted beside her, torch still flicking about as it illuminated bins and whatever else lay strewn across the concrete floor. Suddenly, his arm shot out, halting Tosh who looked at him.

“Shh.” He told her, slinking forward with quiet steps. Tosh observed as he peered round a large dustbin. Tosh’s hand drifted to her gun which sat in her handbag, ready to pull it out if he was in danger only Owen crouched down, hand outstretched and made a soft cooing sound.

“Tosh c’mere. It’s actually kind of adorable looking.” Slightly puzzled and also intrigued, Tosh walked the few steps Owen had taken and spotted the thing he was talking about. It looked a bit like a monkey only it had two heads and four arms, it was colour pink and instead of fur it appeared to have metal plating. But, as Owen had put it, the thing was adorable looking. “We best get it back to the Hub, Jack can take a look at it tomorrow.”

Owen moved to pick it up however the thing bellowed, sharp teeth bared and it leapt up onto the dustbin. It started Tosh, and she didn’t have time to move before it jumped at her too, latching onto her with strong hands.

“Tosh!” Owen exclaimed, reaching for his gun however as Tosh realised, once her blind panic faded, that the alien wasn’t attacking her. It was actually nuzzling her neck, making a sort of purring sound and hugging her.

“Owen- Owen, don’t shoot, It’s okay!” She moved a hand as Owen stilled sceptically, lightly brushing it along the alien monkey’s back and hearing its purr louden. Tosh smiled, looking at it then back at Owen he had settled, gun back in his jeans. 

“Let’s go then. I think it likes you.” They began to move back to the SUV, Tosh keeping the alien settled with her petting. Once in Owen’s car, she turned to him, voicing her thoughts.

“Maybe we’ll keep it.”

**Author's Note:**

> ||Next series instalment: Going Over||
> 
> Comments, Kudos, and Criticism are always appreciated.  
> Tumblr - @drjekyll-is-gay  
> I have a HTTYD discord (none rp) in my tumblr bio, anyone is free to join :)


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